Watching his wife, Leontes is jealous and suspects her of an affair with Polixenes. He reassures himself that Mamillius is his son.
Mistakenly angry and jealous, Leontes accuses Hermione of being pregnant with Polixenes' child and orders her to be sent to jail.
Find out more about the decisions David and the company made in rehearsals.
The contrasting worlds of Sicilia and Bohemia - explore photographs of David Farr's 2008 RSC production of The Winter's Tale.
Activities for teaching The Winter's Tale, based on RSC rehearsal room practice. (You need PDF reader software.)
One of Shakespeare's final works (along with Pericles and The Tempest), The Winter's Tale shows the destructive power of jealousy as Leontes' unjustified rage causes him to lose his wife, his son and his baby daughter. The play ends happily with two marriages and Hermione's miraculous 'resurrection'.
Find out more about the RSC's 2009 production directed by David Farr, with Greg Hicks and Kelly Hunter playing Leontes and Hermione. Use the links above to explore past productions.
